Update: Bylsma now says the defense is a game-time decision Friday.
At the beginning of the week, Buffalo Sabres fans got some great news: defenseman Mark Pysyk was ready to return to the NHL club from his conditioning stint in the AHL.
Per reports, Pysyk flew out to Minnesota on Monday night to join the Buffalo Sabres prior to their game against the Wild on Tuesday.
To some surprise, however, Pysyk wasn’t in the lineup when the Buffalo Sabres hit the ice for that game.
Since the team had just snapped a six-game losing streak, they decided to keep with the same lineup, meaning Pysyk, despite being ready & likely eager to get into action, was in the press box.
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The questions: Why have him fly out to Minnesota and not play? And why would you NOT put arguably the team’s second-best blueliner back in?
My train of thought went something like this:
“Okay, maybe they weren’t sure if Jake McCabe would be ready to go, and wanted to have Pysyk around just in case. Plus, maybe they want to get Pysyk back into the team mode fully before he plays, and having him on the road with the guys should help.”
It makes some sense, right?
But now, three days later and with the Buffalo Sabres returning home to host the Boston Bruins Friday night, Pysyk is still out of the lineup — to even more surprise.
Instead, the Buffalo Sabres, now coming off two straight wins, will stick with the same lineup – with one exception.
Linus Ullmark, the goaltender who backstopped the Buffalo Sabres to both of those wins, is back in the AHL.
And Robin Lehner, who hasn’t played in any NHL action since October, will be in goal instead.
If the train of thought behind keeping Pysyk out is “we’re winning, and you don’t mess with a winning roster,” well, that thought falls apart with the Lehner/Ullmark swap, doesn’t it?
Not to mention, yes, the Sabres won their last two games — but now everything’s changed.
They’re back at home. They’ve got a different goaltender. And they’re facing two conference foes this weekend, not Western Conference teams as they have previously.
Pysyk skated with Carlo Colaiacovo on Friday morning at practice, the first sign that he’d be out of the lineup on Friday night.
He won’t play Friday night against the Bruins, but could we see him make his well-earned return to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night as they host the Washington Capitals?
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So long as he’s healthy, and ready to return, why NOT put Pysyk back in?